Editor's pick: TalkTalk Fibre Large 76Mb

While you won't get any cashback like you will with the BT deals that are on right now, TalkTalk's 76Mb Fibre Large offering instead offers simply a lower price, month to month. It's cheaper, in fact, in this Cable.co.uk exclusive, at £25 per month, for the 76Mbps service than BT is currently asking for 52Mbps. Extra speed, less money. Fewer frills too, but when you have all the speed you need, that won't matter to most.

Recommended broadband deals for March 2018

Cheapest fibre deal: Vodafone Unlimited Fibre 38

Sure, there have been some deals in the past featuring cashback offers that when factored in approach the value offered here by Vodafone – approach it – but beyond that this is unequivocally the cheapest fibre broadband ever to become widely available in the UK. Vodafone's a decent provider too, equalling the likes of Virgin Media and Sky for customer service quality.

Best ADSL (non-fibre) deal: Sky Broadband Unlimited

Not only is this entry-level broadband deal from Sky one of the cheapest in the country right now, Sky is also heaping £75 cashback on top – and that's pretty much unheard of. Add to that Sky's premium equipment and service offering and what you have here is a premium service on a budget. This one's on for a while – till 29 March – so you have plenty of time to think about it. Unless you're reading this on the 28th.

Fastest deal: Virgin VIVID 300

I have this deal on my home connection and let me tell you, it's fast. Actually 'fast' doesn't begin to describe it. It's more like what was referred to in classic Mel Brookes comedy 'Spaceballs' as 'Ludicrous speed' – just one notch shy of plaid. Literally anything you want to do, and no matter how large your household, this will do it quicker than anything else. It's literally as fast as it gets.

Best cashback deal: BT Infinity 1 + Calls

Cashback is what BT does best. While perhaps not offering the cheapest deals when it comes to monthly premiums, if you jump through BT's hoops in terms of remembering to claim the cashback (you need to do this yourself, BT won't remember for you), and deducting that from the first year cost, BT is cheap. And a high-quality service with it. If you're feeling brave, you can even opt for the 76Mbps BT Infinity 2 option, which will give you a whopping £150 cashback.

How to get the best deals on broadband

First things first: You need to know what you can actually get where you live. That’s why the broadband postcode checker at the top of this page has pride of place. It’s the first thing you need to know before you can make any further decisions.

Use our postcode checker to see what is available

First thing’s first: You need to know what you can actually get where you live. That’s why the broadband postcode checker at the top of this page has pride of place. It’s the first thing you need to know before you can make any further decisions.

Choose the right speed for your household

Next you’ll want to think about speed, but rather than thinking in megabits per second (Mbps) which are pretty meaningless in and of themselves, instead think about the people in your household and what they tend to do with it.

A good broadband deal for a single person, for example, provided he or she is not addicted to downloading videogame and movie files, is probably something pretty basic. A single person doesn’t need all that much, even if they intend to stream movies in HD. A good non-fibre (ADSL) connection should do fine.

If you have a moderate to large family, all with different habits, however, you’ll need to factor in that there will be times when everyone will want to be online, doing their own thing, all at the same time, and should start with a fibre package as a minimum.

All deals now include line rental

All broadband packages in the UK either demand you pay line rental as part of your package (your broadband arrives from the local cabinet and into your home through your phone line, it's unavoidable), or they demand you pay someone else. For example, some Plusnet packages advertise ‘broadband only’ but really what they mean is you still have to pay line rental, albeit to your phone line provider, which might be someone else.

The one exception to this is Virgin Media, which offers true broadband-only deals. However, you will only save a few pounds each month compared to buyingbroadband and phone together.

Choose the right fibre package for your needs

If you can get a fibre broadband deal and the size of your household can justify it, there’s plenty to choose from. Virgin Media has its own network and offers the fastest widely available service, with the rest of the fibre providers on the Openreach network, and while they all offer the same speeds, additions like TV and calling packages will help you choose what’s right for you.

Remember to shop around

Ultimately, though, it’s good to shop around. That is, after all, what comparing broadband is all about. Find out what you can get, decide what you want, then jump in. Cable.co.uk provides you all the tools you need.

How to compare broadband

Broadband comparison sites such as Cable.co.uk are the best way to discover the latest broadband, TV and phone deals. Compare with us, and you could save as much as £252 on your next broadband package.

Unlike most other comparison websites, Cable.co.uk is approved and audited by Ofcom, and that means we’ll always provide you with clear and accurate pricing information that’s comprehensive and transparent.

Comparing broadband

You can find out exactly what’s available in your area using the tools on this page, all you need to do is enter your postcode into our availability checker and we’ll show you a comprehensive list of the latest deals on offer in your postcode.

With the Cable.co.uk comparison tools you can compare speed, cost, contracts and offers, quickly and efficiently, all on one page. We collect all the important information on broadband bundles available in your area and lay it out in way that makes finding the best deals easy. Whether you’re looking for the fastest, cheapest or most feature-packed bundle, you’ll find it using the tools at the top of this page.

Most broadband packages come with a basic phone plan as standard, but the key thing you’ll want to look out for when comparing is inclusive (free) calls. You can see all the broadband and phone deals that are currently available in your area using the tools on this page. They’ll help you compare costs and features to find the best deal.

As well as showing you all the broadband and TV packages available in your area - along with a clear comparison of download speeds, prices and contracts – the Cable.co.uk tools list each of the channels included with any given TV subscription so you can see exactly what your subscription fee is getting you and can avoid paying for an inferior service.

Broadband price comparison

You’re sure to get a suitable connection at an affordable price if you compare all that’s on offer in your area – that will give you a clear overview of pricing across the various providers and their respective packages, plus indicate what you can get for your money. From there, deciding how much to pay should be easy.

Ensure you’re comparing like-for-like packages when looking for the best deals - a radical difference in price usually means the cheaper package is missing something the costlier package includes as standard.

To avoid missing out, always – always – look at a bundle in more detail before you buy. The Cable.co.uk comparison tools are designed to help you do all this, quickly and easily – simply enter your postcode at the top of the page to compare the price and features of available packages – that way, you’ll always get the best deal.

Broadband prices tend to rise with broadband speeds, so expect to pay more for a faster connection and a little extra if you want unlimited usage.

You can use the comparison tools on this page to see how prices vary across the various broadband providers and their selection of packages. For a comprehensive comparison of price, it is worth looking at the total price of packages over one year (first-year costs) to see which work out cheapest in the long run.

There’s a huge difference between what’s on offer from the various UK broadband and TV providers, so always look at them in more detail and avoid focusing solely on price - while you may think you’re getting a good deal by comparing cheap prices, you’re not necessarily getting good value.

Use the comparison tools at the top of this page for a clear breakdown on the prices, contracts and inclusive features of broadband and TV packages available in your area.

No matter how big a bundle you’re after, the comparison tools at the top of this make comparing prices simple and give you a lot more information besides – including upfront costs, contract lengths, first-year costs and more; all to help ensure you get the best deal available.

Broadband speed comparison

Compare broadband speeds by postcode using the availability checker at top of this page. The Cable.co.uk tools are designed to help you find the best deals on offer in your area with clear comparisons between speeds, prices and additional features.

If you’re interested in how speeds compare in and around your area – or perhaps an area you’re planning to move to – we recommend the broadband speed comparison map provided by Ofcom, the UK communications regulator; it will show you the average speeds available over both standard and fibre broadband connections in any given location.

You can see which broadband packages are available to buy in a particular postcode by entering it into the availability checker at the top of this page.

Comparing broadband providers

You can find out which broadband providers are operating in your area by entering your postcode into the availability checker at the top of this page. Once you know which ISPs are serving your street, you can compare all the latest deals and special offers available.

Our broadband provider reviews offer an objective insight into each of the UK’s leading providers as well as lesser-known suppliers not covered by other comparison sites. We highlight ISP strengths and weaknesses by examining average speeds, assessing value for money, and contrasting with alternative broadband providers – all to help you find the best for your broadband needs.

Cable.co.uk uses independent data gathered by the UK communications regulator, Ofcom, along with customer testimonies to compare the customer service offered by UK broadband providers. You can read about customer service performance in our broadband guides and reviews – when you’re ready to compare the broadband packages on offer, our Ofcom-approved comparison tools are on hand to help you find the best broadband provider deals.

Cashback on broadband

Deals with cashback are not all that common among some of the big name providers and are unsurprising one of the more popular offers among customers. Cashback deals free up money for you to put towards your first couple of bills or to spend somewhere else entirely. It’s a bit like getting a discount on your monthly subscription, except you get access to the savings in one lump sum.

However, adjust your expectations before you sign up to such an offer - no one is going to slip you a wad of twenties once you’ve sealed the deal. Monetary rewards are usually issued as a cheque, prepaid card or as a billing credit to your customer account and only once the package has been installed and activated. You can compare cashback broadband offers and get more information on our comparison page.

Broadband with free gifts and shopping vouchers

Broadband with free shopping vouchers are one of the most common among broadband providers and are typically affiliated with major supermarkets and leading online or high street stores. The value of these vouchers can differ between packages and their respective providers, but some deals offer coupons with values in excess of £100, which is enough to sweeten most deals.

Shopping vouchers are usually only redeemable once your broadband connection is up and running, so you will have to wait a couple of weeks before you can put them to use. Your provider will instruct you on how to claim your vouchers once you’ve signed up.

Deciding if free gifts are really worth it

Numerous providers offer new customers free gifts for signing up to a broadband package, and we’re not talking about free pens. Free gifts could include extra tech, internet security software or inclusive subscriptions to popular music, TV and movie streaming services.

Incentives like these can be attractive but shouldn’t be what drives your deal search; always be sure you’re getting a suitable broadband package for your money first and foremost – everything else is secondary.

Seizing special limited broadband offers

Sometimes, the best deals are the ones that appear from nowhere – we’re talking flash sales and other special limited offers. The trouble is that staying on top of this sort of thing is a full-time job, but that’s where we come in.

We update all the results on our comparison pages daily, so when you compare deals with us, you can be confident that you’re getting the latest packages at the best prices – you may even come across some Cable.co.uk exclusive deals which we’ve set-up with leading providers, just for you.

What you need to know

Prices last checked and verified 12th March 2018

Broadband speeds may vary

Monthly costs include line rental

All prices are inclusive of VAT except business packages

You should have the right to cancel without penalty if your provider
increases charges during the minimum term of your contract

Some providers offer line rental reduced prices when an upfront payment
is made for 12 months